Bravo stars discuss racism in new 'Race in America' special

On Sunday, August 9 at 10 p.m., some of its biggest stars will participate in "Race in America: A Movement Not a Moment," a special hosted by Nina Parker.

This conversation is unlike any other conversation.You could know someone and have a conversation with themevery day for five years and you would neverhave a race conversation.Right.So I think when you open up the doorto a race conversation, you will be surprisedat what everybody saysbecause you've just never heard anybody,you know, Leslie, I don't know if you would agree with that,but you've not heard anybody talk in this context before.So everything is like incredibly enlightening.Yes, and also at the same time,it was so relatable because I remember listeningto some of the things and hear,how do I have something in common with Garcelle Beauvaisbut I do, because her story about going into the storeand being whooshed over, you know,someone sort of saying, well, maybe, you know,thinking you can't afford.I remember walking into a department, this has happened,if you're black in American it's happened to you,and literally being moved over to the sale rack.Oh me too, absolutely.So many to the stories, what's fascinating and surprisingis to hear, and we always think this,when someone is, you are either well offor they're on television or whatever,well, those things don't really happen to them.We get that it happens to us, the normal people,the ones behind the scenes, right?So I knew my experiences and Dorothy has hers,but to hear some of their experience,it's like, "I experienced that."Mh-hm.And so that,I think, was the more shocking thingrather than a particular storyto me.Yes.You know, because I was just really surprised at howcommon, in some ways, although very different,because it's coming from them.Well their experiences, I think that's really interesting,but let me tell you this.I wanna say that, I think, Braunwynwhat was surprising to me about hers,she was so open and when she was saying things like,"See it before," you know, or Leah saying,"Well, we were able to act a certain way because,yeah, it was the norm and it was just accepted."Those are very surprising revelations, I think.And I think that, I think a lot of peopleare gonna relate to that.Because they are not bad people.No.But when in a system that is set upto favor one group over another,and if you're born into the group with favor,how do you see it?It's just your life.Right, absolutely.So I think there's a lot of surprise in there.And also, you know, and we said this is of everyonein the cast, but just as it relates to Braunwyn and to Leah,they took this with so much honor,to be a part of it.And they both took this with so much seriousness.And also, I think,and bravery.It's not easy to be-Yeah.You know, that was a, you know, our panelwas a predominantly Black paneland to have two white colleaguesto be able to join that panel and be honest and say,"I just don't know why I didn't see this before,"that takes a tremendous amount of courage.Yeah it doesAnd sowe were so happy to have them becausethey just delivered in so many ways, in terms of,just being honest and transparent.And also being really supportiveand also really mortified, when appropriate,of the stories that the rest of their colleagueswere talking about.That's right, that's right.Oh, and I know if you really watch, shockingDr. Britten stories.Because Dr.Britten is an African American womanwho does not look African Americanand the stories that she tells about,not trying to be, but unwillinglybeing the fly on the wall,because she's in a roomand people are open to saying things to her.It's shocking sometimes.Yeah.You know, so I just thinkthat there are surprises around every corner,I think.Yeah.That's why we're so excited for people to see it because youjust haven't heard these perspectives-In just honest conversation.Yeah absolutely.And positive, by the way, I wanna really point it that,we don't leave people in despair.No.Because that was anotherreally big thing that Dorothy and I saidwhen we were figuring this out.We knew we had to end with what we're calling Paths Forward.We say that internally anyway.So where do you go from here, after you have thisconversation, right?Where do people go?What do you do with this information or this awakeningor whatever it is that, you know, however you receive it?And so we really talked about, what do you do?Continuing to protest, voting, things that each of us can dono matter who you are.To move forward and hopefullybecome part of a more just and equal society.So I think that's really important.It really does end on a positive, upbeat note.Yes.You know, I think that, you know,to pat ourselves on the back a little bit,but we'd spent that time to figure outthe people who have been involved.Braunwyn's been involved in the Black Lives Matter Movementfor like five years or something.These are people who have committed to this,it's important to them.They had something to say.The one other thing that I just thought of Leslie washow wonderful it was to haveGregory Gourdet from "Top Chef".Yes absolutely.And what so fantasticabout Gregory is, he's speaking from the perspectiveof a black gay man, which is like yet another layerin the race and gender conversation.And, you know, there's a really cool part,in the special, while Gregory is talkingand there's protestersactually outside his home in Oregon protesting,like literally, it was like kismetthat it all came together.Literally we're filming,and Gregory's answering a question that Nina has askedand you keep hearing chants of, "No justice, no peace!"And for a second, you see all of the talent like look up,like, "Is that coming from production?"Like, "Where's that coming from?"And Gregory is like, "Oh no,they're protesting outside my window."So it was so wonderful, like literally,at the exact moment.Yes.So it was a dream in that waybut also I think it really speaks tohow universal this time isand how everybody, you can't get away fromthe topic of race right now in America.So it was just like another like wonderful,spontaneous bit that you couldn't have producedif you could like try to produce it.No.And it just happened.